4 Ways to Support Employee Career Advancement

by Vijay Kumar Digital Marketing Specialist

A person’s career is a path. The moment they start walking on that path, they face innumerable challenges and opportunities which they must carefully navigate through. From an organization’s perspective, they need to ensure that their objectives align with an employee’s holistic growth. This would increase their productivity and give them a sense of purpose as a member of the organization. The moment an employee feels left out or that their contributions are not helping the organization, they lose the motivation to give their best, which is harmful for the organization and for themselves.

Helping out a peer, especially in terms of their career starts with motivation. It is a crucial aspect of building mutual trust and respect between a leader and his teammate which contributes to productivity. However, Motivating employees is a part of the process. There are many tried and tested methods used by leaders and managers to motivate their peers in their career advancement like rewards and recognition, incentives, consistent feedback, and much more. Rewarding employees and creating a positive work environment gives them a sense of purpose, and strong backing from the organization and extensive focus on their career growth can really sprout unwavering confidence. Since every employee is on a different path, it is important to connect with them personally and help them in whatever way possible. A study conducted by Work Institute in 2020 highlighted the various reasons for employee turnover.

study conducted by Work Institute in 2020

Unlike what most organizations believe money is not the largest contributor to the retention or nurturing of employees. As per the study: Career Development (20%), Work-Life Balance (12%) Manager Behavior (12%), etc are seen as the topmost contributing factors, as such it is important for organizations to implement multiple motivating factors as per their needs. Let us now talk about different methods we can adopt to support our teammates in their professional journey:

Consistent Communication

Career advancement requires constant upskilling. It is important to measure our growth with regard to our environment. This means constant communication and feedback with different team members to ascertain our performance and identify different opportunities for improvement. Setting up consistent communication channels with team leaders and peers would help them warm up to the work environment.

Having regular calls to catch up with them and give constructive feedback gives value to their work and gives them confidence about their role in the company.

Focus on Quality

A hard-working employee is not someone who toils for hours together for a number of tasks that do not contribute to their growth. They need to be at their best, which is only possible if they focus not on just finishing tasks, but on delivering quality results.

Employees must be given space to understand what is expected of them. It is important to monitor their workload in this period and gradually modify it to accommodate optimal work-life balance.

Establish Mentorship Programs

Nurturing goals and aspirations is a positive work ethic, but it is important to know the path that leads us there. A guiding light to help us on this journey and ensure that we are on the right track is reassuring and motivating.

Mentoring becomes an important medium for us to connect with our employees and nudge them in the right direction. It is the right balance between teaching and leading, and gives them an opportunity to learn from our experiences.

Learning and Development

There are many ways we can use to facilitate learning and development. Encouraging employees to take up certification courses, organizing seminars and workshops with industry leaders, and providing hands-on training to develop practical experience are effective opportunities to create a learning environment.

Another impactful gesture is financially supporting an employee’s higher education. It is a wonderful indication of how employee growth is our priority. Obviously, it is not the most viable option, but this kind of support goes a long way in establishing a symbiotic relationship based on trust and respect.

Foster Mutual Respect

Supporting someone mustn’t be due to compulsion. It is nurtured with mutual belief in each other’s capabilities. A leader/manager does not put effort to understand the potential of an employee, and an employee must keep their eyes and ears open to absorb as much information and knowledge that they can from their peers and mentors.

Peer-to-peer recognition is an aspect that is encouraged in many organizations today. It has been an effective tool to facilitate a positive work culture and has helped reduce attrition rates in many organizations today. Vega Rewards is one such platform that facilitates peer-to-peer recognition, along with other interactive methods to boost employee morale and create a positive work vibe.

Conclusion

It is a fact that everyone is responsible for their own journeys and can only help each other on our paths. When we are capable of showing support to someone, it is an encouraging reflection of our values and our objectives. Teams are built on quality and trust. Planning for the long term involves intuition and being aware of the environment that we are in. So it becomes crucial for organizations to back their employees and involve them in their plans because any objective is not achievable if only one or two people are contributing.

Helping an employee in their career path throws light on an organization’s values, and how keen they are for their employees to be at their best. So go ahead, motivate your employees to be their best!

Source Link:- https://www.inflexguide.com/4-ways-to-support-employee-career-advancement/